Organizing My Coupons

Welcome back!

I don’t know about you, but I just about can’t accomplish anything unless I am organized.  Currently, I have a stack of inserts on my desk piled high that I ordered from a couponing service.  I think its time for a coupon organizer, or at least an organizing session with the coupon organization system I currently have in place.  Either way, my coupons need some attention.

I really do have to stay organized if I am truly going to reap the benefits of coupons though.  You have to know when the sales are, when the coupon inserts are coming out, and be able to match those two things up.  I recently read a tip about using Microsoft Outlook to set up alerts for these things.  Definitely not a bad idea, Google Calendar could also be used.  Anything that will help you to get organized.

Are you with me?  Do you need to organize your coupons?

*This is a sponsored post.

Living Inexpensively in an Expensive World

Let’s face it, in today’s economy it is an understatement to say that “living is expensive”. Just recently, my husband and I did our budget trying to determine ways to save and ways to pay down debt. The way that we worked the budget this time around, we discovered that his entire paycheck goes to “necessities”, mortgage, insurance, groceries, gasoline, propane, electricity, water, sewer, you get the point. Next to none of his paycheck is left for “extras” or for “debt reduction”. That’s where my income comes in.

That’s also where living “inexpensively” or frugally comes in. I have tried many times to be “more frugal”. Sometimes, I have succeeded, but sometimes I’ve failed miserably. I think the important thing is that I “try”. I have always been taught to be a good steward of what I have. I believe all that we have comes from God and as a result we are responsible to Him for what we do or do not do with what He gives us. As a result, I am always one to be a wise spender. I meal plan, I dabble in couponing, and I shop the clearance racks. In fact, most of my clothes have been obtained either as gifts at Christmas or my birthday, or from clearance racks or even “hand-me-downs”. Yes, I’m fortunate to receive those from close friends, both for myself and my children.

I don’t feel by doing this that I am “slighted” in life in anyway, in fact the opposite is true, I feel blessed to have the things that I do have, and I am always looking for ways to “save”. Many times, the opportunity to live inexpensively is a bit easier to do than you think. You’ll find “savings” opportunities in the strangest of places if you just take the time to see what’s already there to begin with, you may not “need” the things that you so desperately “wish” that you could have.

Living Inexpensively or at least “less expensive” is doable in this expensive world.

This post if for the contest being held here.

Why You Should Never Forget Your Coupon Binder

This week I made several unexpected trips to the larger town where I buy groceries.  As a result, I decided to buy groceries early and hustled to get my list and coupons together.  Instead of taking my entire coupon binder I grabbed the coupons I wanted to use, stuck them in an envelope and went on my merry way.

When I got to the store I found several items on sale that I had coupons for, but guess what?  My coupon binder was back at home with those coupons inside doing me no good at all.  Needless to say I was beating myself up  over that all up and down the aisles of the Super Walmart.

I’ll tell you what, I have about decided that I’ll never leave home without my coupon binder, you just never know when you might need it.

Photo credit: Cote

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